From publicity to purpose: PR’s evolution in India and why it matters

Mastering the Message is my new book on PR, born from years of experience in communication. Too often seen as mere publicity or crisis management, PR is really about authentic relationship-building. In this book, I share my insights and lessons to show how mastering the message can shape trust, reputation, and behaviour. In this article, I’ve included a few excerpts from the book.

PR in India: From publicity to purpose

There was a time when PR in India meant writing a press release, calling up a journalist, and waiting to see your brand’s name in the paper the next morning. That was the big win. Honestly, that feels like a lifetime ago.

Today, PR has grown into something completely different. It’s not about “publicity” anymore—it’s about reputation in real time. And that’s not easy. One angry customer post on X (Twitter) or one viral reel can throw weeks of brand-building work into chaos. I’ve seen it happen.

The way we measure success has also changed. Coverage and clippings don’t impress anyone now. What matters is: do people trust us? Are they engaging? Is it moving the needle for the business?

And here’s something interesting—if you go to a smaller town, you’ll see how powerful local creators and influencers have become.

A food vlogger in Indore or a Bhojpuri YouTuber often carries more credibility than a glossy TV ad. Why? Because they speak the language of the people. They feel real and state the truth.

But the biggest change is purpose. People don’t just want to know what you sell; they want to know what you stand for. Are you serious about sustainability? Do you care about diversity? Are your social campaigns real or just tokenistic? And let me tell you—audiences can smell tokenism a mile away.

The other shift I’ve noticed is that PR no longer works in a silo. It’s tied into marketing, HR, leadership, and even product. Together, they build one clear story. And finally, PR is getting its rightful seat at the strategy table.

To put it simply: PR in India has matured. It’s no longer about chasing headlines—it’s about people, platforms, and purpose.

Trust: The real currency of brands

If there’s one thing every brand in India should focus on, it’s this: trust. Forget the awards, the fancy ads, or the hashtags—if people don’t trust you, you’ve lost. The tough part is that trust is slow to build and quick to break. One slip-up, and years of goodwill can vanish.

Look at TATA. Everyone associates the name with trust. Not because of one PR stunt, but because of decades of consistency. Ratan Tata himself became a symbol of ethics and fairness. That culture shaped the group. Even today, people believe in them because the values are very real and come from the heart.

Another example is Amul. Their hoardings have been running for decades—witty, timely, always relevant, but never fake. Or think of Zomato. Their social media voice is quirky, but when issues arise, they don’t hide. They face it directly, which is one way of staying honest and facing the customer.

The lesson for all of us in PR? Don’t build hollow stories. Build on values. Once trust is there, it becomes your strongest advantage. Lose it, and no campaign can save you.

Crisis management: When the storm hits suddenly

Crises don’t come with a warning signal. One day everything looks fine; the next day you’re trending for all the wrong reasons. That’s when PR is tested.

In my view, the most important things in a crisis are speed and honesty. Delay, and rumours take over. Lie, and you lose credibility forever. But if you act quickly, stay transparent, and show empathy, people often forgive.

Here’s what helps in a crisis:

• Act fast. Don’t wait for it to explode.
• Be transparent, even if it’s uncomfortable.
• Show empathy. People want to know you care.
• Stay consistent across channels.
• Lean on your advocates—loyal customers, employees, and partners.
• Keep your ears open. Monitoring sentiment can help you spot problems early.

Here is the example of Yes Bank.In 2020, Yes Bank faced one of the worst financial crises in Indian banking. Bad governance, risky loans, underreporting of NPAs—the list was long. RBI had to step in, and suddenly depositors couldn’t even withdraw money. Imagine the panic caused with your hard-earned money.

The SBI-led Rs 10,000 crore bailout brought temporary relief, but trust was shattered. People felt betrayed. The investigations that followed made it worse.

The Yes Bank story proves one thing: reputation is fragile. Once trust breaks, you can’t buy it back with money. You rebuild it only through transparency and years of consistent work.

Now the bank has slowly gained some trust, but it has taken a long time to restore some confidence. But the presence of SBI and their management had helped to salvage the situation by managing and monitoring the crisis very closely.

Building trust in India: Honest stories + original insights

India isn’t one market. It’s dozens of markets packed into one country. Different languages, different habits, different ways of consuming information. What works in Delhi may not click in Chennai. What sounds right in Hindi may need a different tone in Malayalam.

That’s why building trust here is a mix of honest communication and good insights.

First, honesty. Don’t oversell. Don’t hide. Consumers today are smart—they’ll call you out. Journalists too prefer carrying stories that feel real.

Second, research. The same message won’t land everywhere. You need to know your audience—what they watch, who they trust, and how they think. In some places, a CEO’s voice works. In others, a regional influencer carries more weight.

When brands respect these differences, people respond. That’s when trust grows.

Inspiration behind the book

Public relations is about building credibility, trust and long-term engagement. These are elements that advertising alone cannot always deliver, and brands look at new marketing ideas.

While advertising creates quick awareness, then you have to shell out more money, which is not true with PR, as at a lesser budget one is able to slowly build awareness and build credibility for the brand.

My exposure to PR began at Ogilvy, where I have worked on several 360-degree communication projects, and that got further strengthened when I became part of the leadership team at a large PR agency. “

That role gave me a close understanding of how PR works and why it matters. While writing this book, I poured in all my learnings from advertising and PR, which I gained over a period of time, and ensured that the book touched upon several facets of PR with more real and practical examples.

My end objective was that it should be useful for both the professionals and the students who want to step into PR as a career and also know where PR is heading in today’s digital world.

Practical lessons for young PR and marketing professionals

If you’re starting out in PR or marketing, here’s one thing to remember: you’ll never stop learning. This field keeps changing. That’s the fun—and the challenge.

A few things I’ve learnt along the way:

• Listen more than you speak. Clients, consumers, colleagues—listening gives you insights that no tool can.
• Be digitally fluent. Social media, analytics, new platforms—don’t ignore them.
• Learn storytelling. Numbers and facts are fine, but stories move people.
• Build your own credibility. Be ethical. Don’t cut corners. Your personal brand matters too.
• Observe campaigns. Look at Amul’s consistency. Or how Zomato makes people laugh but also addresses problems. There’s learning in every campaign.

At the end of the day, PR isn’t just about sending messages—it’s about shaping perceptions, building trust, and creating conversations that last. If you stay curious, adaptable, and authentic, you won’t just survive in this field—you’ll actually help shape the way India sees brands in the future.